WASN'T IT TIME BIRMINGHAM HAD ITS OWN POETRY FESTIVAL?
From an idea floated on Twitter to a whirlwind force in the poetry world, Verve Poetry Festival (and our sister press) are proud to be a home for poets and poetry-lovers. From Waterstones to The Old Rep to The Hippodrome, and from a four-day programme to a five-day extravaganza, our festival continues to get better every year, welcoming award-winning poets from the Midlands, the UK and the world. We're thrilled collaborators with the BBC's Contains Strong Language Festival, extend our offering with a years worth of online workshops with some of the finest poets the world has to offer in addition to our trimphant return every February.
Almost but not quite weekly on Tuesday evenings from May to November 2024.​
Featuring Rachel Long, Clare Pollard, Helen Mort, Anthony Capildeo, Kim Moore, Yvonne Reddick, Jo Bell, Helen Calcutt, Sarala Estruch, Pascale Petit, Jane Yeh, Victoria Kennelfick, Carrie Etter, Nina Minja, Alice Hiller, Mary Jean Chan, Martha Sprackland, Dzifa Benson and Rebecca Goss.
All workshops run from a prompt 7pm start and finish at 9pm. Places are limited.
Mission
Through a dynamic and thought-provoking programme of performances, workshops, and discussions, we aim to nurture creativity, amplify marginalised voices, and recognise established artists while providing a platform for new writers. We showcase the richness and vitality of contemporary poetry, championing a vibrant community that values artistic expression, cultivates empathy, and encourages dialogue.
Vision
The vision of VERVE Poetry Festival is to be a beacon for contemporary poetry, inspiring a diverse and inclusive community where artistic expression thrives, marginalised voices are heard, and the transformative power of poetry initiates empathy, dialogue, and positive social change. We aspire to create a lasting impact on the literary world, empowering individuals to boldly explore and develop their craft while celebrating the richness and vitality of poetic expression.
2024
Licensed Professionals
All of our licensed professionals have been carefully selected and rigorously trained, ensuring that you receive the best experience. When you choose to work with us, know that you are consistently choosing quality and excellence. Contact us to learn more.
2023
CELEBRATING CONTEMPORARY POETRY
We opened with our heartwarming Birmingham Schools Slam Final, followed by the Rathbones Folio Poetry Prize with Jackie Kay. Workshops by Helen Calcutt, Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, Helen Mort, Will Harris, Scarlett Ward and Kathy Pimlott focused on personal experiences, resistance, mythology and sound. We presented our first Poetry Film Night and hosted a Poetry Society Young Poets Takeover. Our all day open mic was the busiest we've ever had and Nick Makoha united art, history, and poetry in our ANNUAL POETRY PERFORMANCE LECTURE. Harana Poetry LIVE brought a poetry magazine to life, and the festivals headline performances included Zaffar Kunial, Gregory Leadbetter, Jenny Mitchell, Jay Gao, Will Harris, Denise Saul, and a lively Saturday Night Stramash with Kevin P. Gilday, celebrating Scottish poets.
2022
OUR MOST AMBITIOUS FESTIVAL YET
An extra day added to the programme for the introduction of Birmingham's School Slam Fina. We featured experimental poetry shows like Jasmine Gardosi’s Dancing to Music You Hate and extracts from Kat Lyons’ Dry Season. Our VERVE Poetry Performance Lecture in collaboration with the Poetry School returned with Stephanie Sy-Quia and we were proud to host showcases from Youthful Cities Exchange in the form of Transnational Lag Express and the One-off Online Poetry Festival, disproving two of their title words by putting on a second-edition of their festival on the VERVE stage. The staple brilliant workshops, glorious readings and boisterous poetry nights returned, this time with added accessibility via high-quality streaming.
2020
IN OUR NEW HOME
We've landed in Birmingham Hippodrome’s wonderful Patrick Studio, with an integrated programme of POETRY WORKSHOPS, a celebration of poetry collectives - Barbican & Hippodrome Young Poets showcased their work! and a glorious attrium for Verve's Poetry Bookshop and the Poetry Machine. We were thrilled to welcome: Birdspeed, Rachel Allen, Roy Mcfarlane, Toria Garbutt, Mary Jean Chan, Caroline Bird, Andrew McMillan, Deryn Rees-Jones, Jonathan Edwards, Mimi Khalvati, Jaspreet Kaur, and Heather Phillipson. Yomi Sode delivered our second ANNUAL VERVE POETRY LECTURE made in collab with the Poetry School.
2019
A CHANGE OF SCENE
For our third year we migrated over to The Old Rep. We welcomed: Inua Ellams, Bernadine Evaristo, Vanessa Kissule, Roger Robinson, Joelle Taylor, Rishi Dastidar, Alison Brackenbury, Jane Yeh, Sumita Chakraborty and many talented poets. We introduced new features to the programme, with Anthony Anaxagorou kicking off the ANNUAL VERVE POETRY LECTURE made in collaboration with the Poetry School.
2018
BIGGER & BOLDER
We returned for our second year with a dizzying line-up, including Salena Godden, Luke Wright, Sabrina Mahfouz, Liz Berry, Imtiaz Dharker, Pascale Petit, Nuar Alsadir, Anthony Anaxagorou, Yomi Sode and so many more. Poetry, performance and genre-bending new work from around the globe, all packed into four days.
2017
THE YEAR IT ALL BEGAN
Wasn’t it about time that Birmingham had its own poetry festival? Yes, it was. And after months of meticulous planning, the inaugural Verve Poetry Festival took place in February 2017. Taking over Waterstones in the heart of Birmingham City Centre, the festival brought together some of the finest poets from around the country, offering an exhilarating showcase of contemporary work.
